When it rains, it pours

Splat! I ran into a bird today. I think it was a crow or a raven. It crashed into my windshield as it was trying to take flight out of the road. I don't think I killed it, or even injured it (too much). It landed on the side of the road and I was too startled to even think about stopping to check if it was dead. I wonder if it is bad luck to kill such a big bird. Because then,

A stupid redneck woman starts cursing me out in the supermarket carpark, in front of her children sitting in the backseat, for parking too close to her car and in a mothers-with-prams-only spot. I apparently didn't even have a car seat to satisfy her nerves.

And the stupid building manager of our resort apartments has decided to unfairly abuse my husband with accusations of criminal behavior and doing something wrong. When there was no wrong doing. Asshole!

I hate mean people. Why can't everyone be nice and civil to each other.

I hate packing

I should be good at packing up all my belongings and putting all my essentials into two bags by now. But boy do I like shopping, there is no point going shopping if you can't accumulate things. Dilemma, dilemma. At least this way we can save money that we have yet to earn.

In an attempt to empty my pantry, I made chocolate chip cookies. But I never seem to get them right. I hate it when they are too cakey. Arg. I need a foolproof chocolate chip cookie recipe so they come out chewy and gooey, and yummy.

New Adventure

We are leaving for Sri Lanka! Richard got a job there and we are off to a new home. Don't know how this will all work out. But I am still scheduled to arrive in the US for Christmas. This all means lots of pack and organizing, living out of a bag again for a few months maybe, Sri Lankan food... I don't really know. Big changes. Time to get out of Cabarita and back to the real world.

2 AM

2 O'Clock in the morning is now our usual bedtime. Which means that we inevitably end up waking up around noon, sometimes 2pm (in my case). Its a sad sad situation, one that we can't seem to break out of. Whats even sadder, is that at this moment the two of us are sitting in bed, 2AM, with our computers in our laps. This after I enforced a "no computers in the bed" rule for so long. Nothing important is getting done and nothing will get done tomorrow once we wake up by mid-day. Sigh.

I haven't been able to sleep so well in the past few weeks. I wonder why. This damned sleep cycle could have something to do with it, and just plain laziness.

Goal: To stimulate our brains with meaningful activity during daylight hours so that we can get to sleep at a normal time and break out of this crazy insomnia cycle.

Goal 2: to continue to regularly update this blog even though I know that no one reads it.

Good night, or rather good morning.

Some Honeymoon Pics

At the Louvre

Versaille Orangerie - Paris, France

In Dubai, UAE



Safari Dinner - Camel riding

Riverboat dhow dinner cruise, Dubai UA

We had an amazing time in Paris and Dubai. Just two days in each city and we did so much. We visited the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge, Dhow dinner cruise, Safari dinner with 4-wheeling in the desert, Camel Rides, Massages, exquisite shopping, etc... I love my husband.

My Husband

This is my favorite picture of my husband.

More wedding photos

Crazy brotherAnd another crazy brother
Sisters
The upright cake by Amy. My croquembouche.
Father of the bride
Flower boys David and Matthew
My crazy girls, Erin, Deb and Tanya

We're Married!

Pula, Croatia 18 July 2007

A new addition to the family, Richard Schmidt - and I guess that makes me Rachel Schmidt.

Aw, Happily Ever After...

We had a surprisingly wonderful wedding, and a good time was had by all. There was dancing, tons of good food, dolphins and flowers falling from the sky.

Wedding Plans

One week now til we leave for Pula. I think we are ready for a summer vacation. Australia needs a break from us and I think our travel bug is biting. I am especially looking forward to the mini-honeymoon in Paris and Dubai on our way back to Oz. We have been making our plans - wedding attire, venue, accommodation arrangements, transportation, entertainment, etc. This wedding stuff is a lot of work.

Upcoming

The countdown is something like 6 weeks until the wedding day. Don't think that we are anywhere near prepared for this international-destination wedding that Richard and I naively agreed to. What were we thinking? We leave July 2nd, and have a lot more preparations to make when we get to Pula. Hot summer weather, gourmet salamis and cheeses (and olives - though not for me), European cuisine (bakalar, octopus salad - doesn't sound too appetizing, but Mmm), the Adriatic pool, and everyone speaking a language I don't understand. It'll be a little whirlwind family reunion.